Why is my neutered rabbit humping and biting his companion?

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually aggression in our pets can be altered a bit by removing excess testosterone with neutering. While it is not impossible he is lonely-likely he is frustrated with the removal of his mates each time. Neutering may help with his need for female attention as well as curbing unwanted aggression due to excess testosterone. I hope this helps!

Hello. I would definitely consider neutering Bun Bun in case this is testosterone/sexually based aggression. If so, his attitude should improve over the next 4 weeks. This could also be aggression based on resource protection. Some rabbits become a bit aggressive when an owner is changing food or even putting out fresh hay or treats. A rabbit can perceive this as a threat to his "stash". But the easiest thing to do is neuter him, & of course, never reinforce his aggressive behavior ( some people will see this as cute & funny & inadvertently cheer the behavior on ). Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. You will want to neuter the older rabbit first, & try to have this done several weeks before introducing the new bunny. After several weeks, all the testosterone will be out of Thumper's system & other than taking some time & care to let them get to know each other, there should be no sexual aggression on Thumper's part. Then have the younger rabbit neutered as soon as your veterinarian recommends. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am so sorry that this change is happening - it is never easy when one pet starts to be aggressive to the other. I don't know when the last time that you had a wellness exam performed on your rabbits, but I think that would be a good place to start with these two. Sometimes a more dominant animal will "pick on" the other if it isn't feeling well - this is often picked up by the animals in the house long before it is noticed by the humans in the household. Your veterinarian would perform a physical exam, and then could also perform some blood work to evaluate systemic health. Since it looks like your rabbits spend some time outside, they may also evaluate the feces for any evidence of parasites as well that they may pick up. I would also recommend weighing both of the rabbits - it sounds like a lot of the negative interactions occur when food is present, and this may make it hard for your lop to get adequate amounts of food, and weight loss can occur. Additionally, there may be a process going on in the dominant rabbit that is making it need more nutrition and, therefore, is becoming more aggressive about food items. One thing that you may try while waiting to get into the vet is separating the rabbits with a physical barrier that they can still see through - then if they still want to lie next to one another against the barrier they can, but the lop can get away easier if getting picked on. You can feed them near the barrier as well, in case they are social eaters. This may make them feel more comfortable than being completely separated from one another.

Thanks for reaching out about Bun Bun. This question has been addressed once before but there recommendation is to have Bun Bun spayed, and Fluffy neutered also (if not). Intact female spays have an increased incidence of uterine cancer but also tend to fight more. Talk to a veterinarian in your locale. Good luck.

Mounting behavior is not unusual but I would recommend to have both rabbits checked out to be sure they are both males! You definitely don't want a bunch of baby rabbits! Male rabbits can sometimes become aggressive so neutering them is a good option to decrease aggression. You can discuss the surgery with the doctor during the visit to see if this is a good option for you.

Hi Kian! You have some great questions. Even when keeping just one rabbit, I don't recommend leaving a buck unneutered. When male rabbits become sexually mature, they can act aggressively. The hormones can trigger territorial and dominance aggression. The most common signs of sexual maturity in a male include circling you, mounting you, or trying to bite you. Unneutered males can also frequently spray urine. I do urge you to have Fluffy neutered before four months of age. I hope this helps!